Talking Business with Heather Russell of Young Living

Today I am joined by stay-at-home mom Heather Russell, an essential oils distributor working with Young Living. Heather is going to share a little bit about essential oils and how they can support your family's health and wellness.

Good morning, Heather! I’m so glad you’ve joined us today on the Beautiful Chaos blog. I’m excited to share your product with my readers because I know from personal experience how beneficial essential oils are to my family’s wellbeing, especially this time of year with the flu season looming.

Heather with her five cuties

1. To get started, tell us a little about your background and your sweet family.

I’m wife to an amazing man who works hard to preach the Gospel, and mom to five extremely energetic kids under the age of nine. My husband and I met somewhat later in life than it seems most people do, and have definitely dealt with several challenges in our marriage all at once that most people seem to spread out over a lifetime. In ten years we have had five children, struggled with losing a parent to Alzheimer's disease, handled the challenges of responsibility for ailing grandparents and ultimately their end of life arrangements, personal illness that hindered ability to work and led to serious financial difficulties, and the near loss of a child at birth. But we've also experienced many blessings that others never have the chance to receive: the kindness of loving friends who never let us go without or expected anything in return, knowledge about health and wellness in all areas that came directly from our own struggles and desperate search for answers, greater empathy for those in pain, gratitude for the small things, a deeper faith, and a strong family unit. We spend our time now just trying to share our blessings with those still caught in struggles of all kinds.

2. What led you to discovering the benefits of essential oils?

When I began having children I began to question the status quo health advice more and more. There are so many things with safety warnings and I wanted nothing more than the health and safety of my babies. I also found myself being more and more sensitive to chemicals during pregnancy, to the point that my husband had to do most of the housework because I couldn't handle the cleaning products. A friend hosted an informal class at my house during a gathering we were already having, and gave me a bottle of Thieves or lavender, I don't remember which now. I was skeptical, but I took it and also bought a bottle of lavender. I started using the two as my friend suggested and was completely floored. My husband was a much harder sell, but we did our research and began using more and more oils, and the effects were undeniable.

3. What sets Young Living apart from other companies in the industry?

Young Living never compromises quality for the bottom line. We don't just assume that a supplier is above board; every detail of every source of every product is stringently vetted. We are committed to growing as many of our own ingredients as possible, and until we can grow something ourselves we hold suppliers to higher standards than any regulatory system in the world. Nothing sold by Young Living is created in a laboratory, and nothing that wasn't created by God touches our plants. Fields are weeded by hand, essential oils and herbal waters are used to control pests, etc. At the same time, the consumer is not just a number; we are just as much a part of the company as the owners and ranking officials, and are treated as such.

4. How has being a Young Living distributor benefited your family?

Since we started using Young Living wellness products in conjunction with good eating habits, we are rarely sick. Even when we do come down with something our immune systems are so strong that we don't stay down long. The rare occasions when one of us has needed a doctor have been emergency situations only. The research we have done learning about how essential oils work with the body has given us so much confidence when it comes to maintaining our health, and really increased our faith in God as Designer and Provider. Because my husband is a preacher and I am a stay-at-home mom, financial peace in our old age is a real worry, but building a home business with Young Living gives us a way to provide for ourselves in our old age.

5. What are your favorite essential oils and why?

Everyone asks this question and I can never answer it! There are so many that I love that it is hard to choose. There are a few that we use on a daily basis, though. I keep a huge stash of Thieves, Peppermint, and Lavender because we use those for so many different situations. I was just telling someone the other day that lavender is the first oil my babies learn to ask for by name. It is right up there with mommy kisses for their peace and comfort!

6. This time of year, lots of people struggle with staying healthy, both mentally and physically. What oils would you recommend to:

Support a healthy immune system

Thieves and Frankincense are at the top of my list here.

Uplift and encourage

My personal favorites are citrus oils; they are just so happy! I like to mix them up with heavier scents, too, to create diffuser blends that suit my mood.

Capture the scents of the season

Think pumpkin pie and you know my favorite holiday scents! Clove, cinnamon, orange, any evergreen oils - mix and match to your heart's content! If you like a more savory holiday experience, sage, thyme, and rosemary make great additions to diffuser blends.

Calm children

I have had really great success with Peace and Calming, Lemon, and Valor.

Ease tension

Peppermint and wintergreen are really good for tense muscles at the end of a long day. There are also blends like Deep Relief and M-Grain that drive deep down into muscle tissue and relax areas that are difficult to address.

7. What products does Young Living offer besides essential oils?

Supplements for every body system as well as general supplements; over the counter items approved for minor complaints; household cleaners; personal care products for men, women, and children; healthy snack items; Einkorn flour and products containing it; recipe books, kitchen items, and accessories designed for oily applications; diffusers; makeup; baby products; I’m sure there is something I’m forgetting. I spend about a third of my household budget (groceries, household, and personal care) through Young Living.

8. What’s your best advice for someone just entering the oily world? Where should they start?

Get a starter kit. The premium kit costs right at half value and includes a diffuser and oils for every application. It comes with basic information about the oils included and how to use them, so you don't have to start with guesswork. Plus, once you've bought a kit, you are a wholesale customer instead of retail, which means you save 24% off everything you order after that and have access to monthly promotions and a special rewards program, even a shipping subscription that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

9. As a distributor for Young Living, what kind of support do you personally give the members of your downline?

I actually don't like to think of our team as upline or downline. We're all in this together to hopefully help each other. When you join my team you will get a welcome email from me with my personal contact information and suggestions for further resources, including my own social media groups that I use for education. I also send out a monthly newsletter. I try to stay in contact with my team at least monthly, but I am a busy mom so I don't always keep up as well as I’d like. I’m available by text, email, or social media to answer questions or share my experience. I am not able to travel much right now with small children at home, but I’m available for long distance meetings through the internet, just contact me to set up a time. My main concern is to help you, so let me know whatever you need and I'll do my best to make it happen.

10. Where can my readers get more information and/or place an order?

The Young Living website has basic information about every product we sell, as well as a link to create your customer account. To purchase your kit head over to www.youngliving.com, select the menu option to become a member, and follow the instructions on the link. If you choose to join my team, enter my member number in the sponsor field (that number is 1381837). You can also check out www.seedtoseal.com for more information about the company and our vision. You can look up my public Facebook group, Living Naturally, or my Instagram page @wordworkerlivingnaturally, for regular posts about Young Living products.

Thanks, Heather! I’m so grateful you’ve taken the time to share the wonders of essential oils with us today. They are a blessing to my family, and I know they can be a blessing to my readers!

To read more about Heather's work with Young Living click HERE!

[Disclosure: This post is part of a series that received compensation, but all opinions I expressed are my own]

Are you a stay-at-home mom with a home business? Contact me at servingfromhome@gmail.com to have your product featured on the Beautiful Chaos blog!